1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to grinders for coffee beans and the like. More specifically, this invention provides a coffee grinder with storage for and the dispensing of a fixed volume of whole coffee beans for grinding.
2. Description of Related Art
Many individuals prefer to brew coffee with freshly ground coffee beans. Two general types of coffee grinders are available for performing this function, namely: chopper and burr grinders. The burr grinder is preferred because it allows an individual to select a grind size more accurately than can be achieved with a chopper.
As known, if coffee beans are stored in a coffee grinder for long periods of time, the coffee can be less tasty and eventually the coffee beans may become rancid. Consequently, it is generally accepted that such beans should be kept in a tight container. It is also desirable that the tight container be opaque or that the beans be stored in a dark area and/or stored in a refrigerator or freezer.
Storage containers used with conventional burr grinders are generally integral with the burr grinder. They can not be detached. Consequently they provide only a limited storage capacity to prevent the bean quality from deteriorating. It is impossible to seal these storage containers or remove them from the coffee grinder for storage in a refrigerator or other area.
Oftentimes individuals may wish to grind different types of coffee, such as caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees at different times. When the storage container is integral with the grinder, it is necessary to empty the grinder completely of one type of bean and then add new beans of another type. Any beans that are trapped between the storage container-and the grinder from the prior coffee selection are included in the new coffee grind.
In many burr grinders a hopper is filled with coffee beans that are continuously admitted to the grinding mechanism, so there must be some way to meter or limit the amount of beans that are actually ground for a given brewing session. Prior burr grinders include an adjustment mechanism that establishes a desired quantity of ground coffee by setting a grinding time. This assumes that grinding time and the volume or weight of the ground coffee correlate accurately. In fact, that correlation is not always accurate. Moreover, when the grinding stops, whole and partial coffee beans remain in the unit. It is possible for the quality of those beans to deteriorate.
Various grinder functions in a grinder with an integral storage container are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,522 (1989) to Castelli for an automatic espresso coffee making machine for household use. The disclosed coffee making machine incorporates an electronic device linked operatively to a timer and a selector operative to dispense one or two doses of espresso coffee. Grinding is for one of two fixed time intervals depending upon whether a single or double dose of coffee is being prepared. After grinding, the ground coffee falls onto a chute into a percolation chamber where it is brewed.
As will be apparent, this particular patent includes an integral storage container and a timer for controlling the amount of coffee that is ground. It is therefore subject to inaccuracies in the volume of coffee that is actually ground. It does not include a removable unit that can combine storage and dispensing functions and does not provide for a proper storage environment for long term storage.
An object of this invention is to provide a coffee grinder with storage and dispensing functions that enable more accurate control of the amount of coffee that is actually ground.
A coffee grinder in accordance with this invention includes grinding heads and a motor. A storage dispensing element premeasures a volume of coffee beans for brewing a desired number of cups of coffee. This volume transfers to the grinder heads. Grinding occurs by initiating the operation of the grinder motor and sensing the level of the grinder motor. Grinding continues while the sense motor load is above a predetermined level.